37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
Attributes | |
ACN | 365868 |
Time | |
Date | 199704 |
Day | Sun |
Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
Place | |
Locale Reference | atc facility : zjx |
State Reference | FL |
Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 msl bound lower : 21000 msl bound upper : 21000 |
Environment | |
Flight Conditions | VMC |
Light | Daylight |
Aircraft 1 | |
Controlling Facilities | artcc : zjx tower : dal |
Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
Make Model Name | Brasilia EMB-120 All Series |
Operating Under FAR Part | Part 135 |
Navigation In Use | Other |
Flight Phase | cruise other |
Flight Plan | IFR |
Person 1 | |
Affiliation | company : air carrier |
Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
Qualification | pilot : atp |
Experience | flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 10100 flight time type : 90 |
ASRS Report | 365868 |
Person 2 | |
Affiliation | company : air carrier |
Function | flight crew : first officer |
Qualification | pilot : instrument pilot : commercial |
Events | |
Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
Independent Detector | other flight crewa other other : unspecified cockpit |
Resolutory Action | other |
Consequence | Other |
Supplementary | |
Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
While in cruise flight, the 'flap control fault' warning illuminated (with the associated chime and annunciator indication). The checklist was executed with the attempted reset unsuccessful. Maintenance control was contacted via radio, and the crew concurred that a continuation to our scheduled destination with a zero flap landing would be logical. On the first contact with the destination approach control, ATC was advised that we would be flying our approach and landing at higher than normal speeds. No emergency was declared. The landing was executed per standard procedure uneventfully. The brasilia (EMB120) has a long and well-documented history of flap problems. These problems have the potential to cause uncontrollable roll input. Unfortunately, most of the warnings are false, or 'self-correcting.' this creates something of a 'boy who cried wolf' syndrome among many pilots. The warnings lose credibility and are sometimes ignored. The maintenance supervisor who took the airplane from us told us that this particular ship had been 'having problems.' they had just replaced the nacelle flap actuator on the left wing prior to our flight to try to solve them. I was told that the next step was to replace the right actuator.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A EMB120 HAD A FLAP CTL WARNING IN CRUISE. LANDED WITH FLAPS RETRACTED.
Narrative: WHILE IN CRUISE FLT, THE 'FLAP CTL FAULT' WARNING ILLUMINATED (WITH THE ASSOCIATED CHIME AND ANNUNCIATOR INDICATION). THE CHKLIST WAS EXECUTED WITH THE ATTEMPTED RESET UNSUCCESSFUL. MAINT CTL WAS CONTACTED VIA RADIO, AND THE CREW CONCURRED THAT A CONTINUATION TO OUR SCHEDULED DEST WITH A ZERO FLAP LNDG WOULD BE LOGICAL. ON THE FIRST CONTACT WITH THE DEST APCH CTL, ATC WAS ADVISED THAT WE WOULD BE FLYING OUR APCH AND LNDG AT HIGHER THAN NORMAL SPDS. NO EMER WAS DECLARED. THE LNDG WAS EXECUTED PER STANDARD PROC UNEVENTFULLY. THE BRASILIA (EMB120) HAS A LONG AND WELL-DOCUMENTED HISTORY OF FLAP PROBS. THESE PROBS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE UNCONTROLLABLE ROLL INPUT. UNFORTUNATELY, MOST OF THE WARNINGS ARE FALSE, OR 'SELF-CORRECTING.' THIS CREATES SOMETHING OF A 'BOY WHO CRIED WOLF' SYNDROME AMONG MANY PLTS. THE WARNINGS LOSE CREDIBILITY AND ARE SOMETIMES IGNORED. THE MAINT SUPVR WHO TOOK THE AIRPLANE FROM US TOLD US THAT THIS PARTICULAR SHIP HAD BEEN 'HAVING PROBS.' THEY HAD JUST REPLACED THE NACELLE FLAP ACTUATOR ON THE L WING PRIOR TO OUR FLT TO TRY TO SOLVE THEM. I WAS TOLD THAT THE NEXT STEP WAS TO REPLACE THE R ACTUATOR.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.